The present invention is directed to a system and method for cleaning the work rolls of a multi-roll leveler. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a system and method for cleaning the work rolls of a multi-roll leveler by driving the work rolls against a cleaning pad.
Strip materials are used or produced in various industries. In at least certain of these industries, it is desired that a strip of material of interest have as flat a profile as possible. Unfortunately, it is also known that at least certain strip material manufacturing processes commonly impart one or more types of deformation to the strip materials produced thereby, which deformation tends to reduce the flatness of the strip materials. To that end, various devices, systems and techniques have been developed for both detecting and correcting the flatness of a moving strip of material.
While not limited thereto, a common use of such aforementioned flatness detecting and correcting devices, systems and techniques occurs in the production of strip metal products, wherein hot slabs or billets of steel and other metals are rolled into thin sheets. This hot-rolling process, as well as several devices, systems and techniques for detecting and/or correcting the flatness of sheet metal products produced thereby, is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,301 (the '301 patent) to Bergman et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The '301 patent specifically describes various embodiments of a microprocessor-controlled multi-roll leveler capable of automatically correcting for shape defects in metal strip materials. This and other multi-roll levelers generally employ opposing, substantially parallel sets of work rolls that are typically supported by back-up rolls. During operation, the metal strip material is fed into the entrance of the leveler, such as from a coil, and is caused to pass between the opposing sets of work rolls. Each set of work rolls is placed into contact with the metal strip, such as by driving one set of work rolls toward the other, so that a leveling (flattening) force is impressed upon the metal strip as it passes therebetween. The work rolls operate to relieve stresses induced by the hot rolling process, and to thereby impart flatness across the entire width of the strip.
Unfortunately, materials such as the metal strip materials commonly operated on by such levelers, may often carry various contaminants on the exposed surfaces thereof. These contaminants may include, for example, oxide from aluminum, rust, various coating materials, oil, and general dirt and dust. As the leveler rolls contact and act on these contaminated materials, some of the contaminants are transferred to the rolls. Over time, a build-up of such contaminants may accumulate on the work rolls. This typically requires that the work rolls be cleaned in order to permit continued proper operation of the leveler and/or to ensure that the presence of the contaminants between the work rolls and the material being leveled does not mark or otherwise mar the material surface.
Known work roll cleaning techniques have proven less than satisfactory, whether due to the inefficient method by which they are conducted or the inadequate results obtained thereby. For example, certain known roll cleaning techniques employ a cleaning element that is placed between a set of rotating upper and lower leveler work rolls. Unfortunately, the cleaning element must be secured in some manner to prevent its continual ejection from between the work rolls. A roll cleaning system and method of the present invention overcomes the deficiencies of known work roll cleaning systems and methods.